Pioneer Centre [1995- ]

Submitted by RABBIT on Mon, 06/02/2014 - 15:26
Current condition
In use
Date completed

A property owned by Kowloon Development Co. Ltd completed in 1996, previously it was the headquarter of KMB in 1935 (Kowloon Inland Lot No. 2111, the land lot where it occupied was purchased from the government in 1928), and the headquarter was converted into shops and restaurants in post-war period till 1970s. And then it was demolished and a building called Pioneer Building, which existed from 1980 to 1990.

Mong Kong Branch of IKEA Furnitures located there from late-1990s till 2004 when it moved to Kowloon Bay.

Previous place(s) at this location
Royal Theatre [1960-1990]
Pioneer Building (2nd Generation) [1969-1990]

Photos that show this Place

Pioneer Centre from Bute Street
2017

Comments

Hi,

Thanks for the new Place. I noticed you've added Royal Theatre as previously at this site. Looking at the map the Royal Theatre was across on the south side of Bute Street, so I don't think the two sites were connected.

Regards, David

I was under the impression that the Royal Theatre was on the north side of Bute Street and occupied the space now taken up by the lower (southern) end of the Pioneer centre?

Can you point me in the direction of your map, David?

Hi Phil,

I'm looking at "Hong Kong Streets & Places Vol. 2", the 1979 reprint. 

The plot on the north-east corner of the Bute Street / Nathan Road junction is marked:

  • Empress Theatre
  • Pioneer Building
  • Consulate General of Peru

The plot on the south-east corner is marked:

  • Royal Theatre
  • Mong Kok Church

Regards, David

Hi Phil,

The Pioneer Centre (1st generation) as shown below was built on the ex-KMB Hqs site with the Empress Theatre entrance fronting Nullah Road.   Royal Theatre had two entrances: one facing Nathan Road, the other facing Bute Street.   In fact Royal Theatre was to the northern side of Bute Street.

The Pioneer Centre (2nd generation) is sitting on both former theatre sites and is almost double the size of its 1st generation as it is now.

Rabbit gives a brief development history of these lots in the opening.

regards, Edmond

Pioneer Centre (2nd generation)

Edmond & Phil,

Thanks for the photos - no doubt now that the theatre was north of Bute Street, so the map book must have got it wrong. I'll update the Royal Theatre page.

Regards, David